Senseo Coffee Pods

[sam]

hello! can anyone help me out with information that you may have.... For the past few months I've been drinking Senseo coffee with that fancy machine that uses the coffee pods... and, then, I read somewhere that the adhesive used to make the pods could contain gluten?? So, I emailed Senseo.... and their respose was:

"We can NOT state that our product is 100% gluten free."

So.... even though I haven't gotten 'sick' from the coffee, I would hate to be putting trace amounts of gluten in my body every day....

Anyone know anything or have advice????

Thank you!!

Samantha

[lovegrov]

Of course I don't have anything other than what you got from the company, but I'd personally be willing to wager large amounts of cash that this is a CYA statement and that the pods are perfectly gluten-free.

richard

[tommchale]

Hi Sam - I have been researching this as well with Sarah Lee (company that actually makes Senseo brand pods) and they have verified that their pod filter material is in fact gluten free. However, they seem to be pretty much stumped as far as the adhesive goes.

This is not scientific, but I have reason to think the Senseo may be making me sick. As you probably know, it can be incredibly difficult to pin any specific thing down, so I have not proven this yet. I am laying off it for a week and will report back.

There does not seem to be much talk in the forumn about Senseo so I wonder if other people are suspcious of it? I am exceptionally sensitive to trace amounts (cross contamination does it) so maybe it is not enough to bother others...

[kenlove]

I get sick from licking envelopes so I suspect there the adhesive in the pods would do the same to me. Dont have the machine as I'm spoiled by growing my own Kona coffee.

Ken

Hi Sam - I have been researching this as well with Sarah Lee (company that actually makes Senseo brand pods) and they have verified that their pod filter material is in fact gluten free. However, they seem to be pretty much stumped as far as the adhesive goes.

This is not scientific, but I have reason to think the Senseo may be making me sick. As you probably know, it can be incredibly difficult to pin any specific thing down, so I have not proven this yet. I am laying off it for a week and will report back.

There does not seem to be much talk in the forumn about Senseo so I wonder if other people are suspcious of it? I am exceptionally sensitive to trace amounts (cross contamination does it) so maybe it is not enough to bother others...

[ENF]

I have a Senseo machine, but I became suspicous of the glue on the pods and stopped using them. I bought a refillable coffee holder, called Mypod, designed for Senseo machines, which allows the use of any ground coffee and eliminates the need for the Pods. It's cheaper than using pods, but a bit less convenient.

[tarnalberry]

I've only seen them pictured on the outside of the box, but they look the same as the round tea 'bags', which don't use any adhesive whatsoever. They're waffle pressed together. Using adhesive in them doesn't actually make any sense, as it would alter the flavor of the coffee, and probably in a not-so-very pleasant way... I'm quite skeptical that there would be any adhesive there...

Did they actually confirm that they use *adhesive*?

[tommchale]

I've only seen them pictured on the outside of the box, but they look the same as the round tea 'bags', which don't use any adhesive whatsoever. They're waffle pressed together. Using adhesive in them doesn't actually make any sense, as it would alter the flavor of the coffee, and probably in a not-so-very pleasant way... I'm quite skeptical that there would be any adhesive there...

Did they actually confirm that they use *adhesive*?

They can't seem to answer that question with any certainty. However, I have a number of tea bag brands that are waffle pressed and it's very easy to spot. The senseo pods have a smooth, waxy finish around the seam. Something has been heated to make the seal. Paper on paper heating does not seem logical to me. It looks very much like a cotton shirt that has been ironed with spray starch as opposed to heat pressed only. Sorry, no hard data, but they are definitely not waffle pressed and I would bet lunch some material of some kind is used. I am not sure the flavor is a big issue because the seam area itself is not exposed to the steam process directly, the metal plates of the senseo cover most of it. I seem to get very sick after about three weeks of drinking Senseo coffee so I am betting it is a trace amount of gluten issue.

[SunnyDyRain]

This is sad. I have a senseo and this may be one of the many things continuing to make me sick. I say one of many becasue I don't drink the pods too often, but like once a week or so. I do have my "My Pod" thing good alternative, just not as easy.